Dressing up the Wii

The Wii, Nintendo’s home video games console, has revolutionized the concept of gaming and gaming experience. Likewise, it has gotten families and friends closer together as they find interesting and exciting reasons to socialize and have fun.

Since its release in select countries on September 14, 2006, the Wii has consistently outsold its main competitions: Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360. Its most interesting feature is its wireless controller, called the Wii Remote, which functions as a pointing device and 3-dimensional movement detector. Aside from giving users the ultimate gaming experience, the Wii is also capable of connecting to the Internet.

Recently, Nintendo unveiled the latest, most interesting features and games for the Wii.

The Wii MotionPlus accessory is connected to the end of the Wii Remote which then makes tracking a player’s arm and position orientation easier. A player’s movements become more precise and defined. For example, a player is absorbed in the Disc Dog game and throws the Frisbee. The Wii’s MotionPlus sensor will then automatically detect the player’s hand or arm movement. This way, the player’s movement is rendered in real time onscreen.

By November 16, 2008, Nintendo will release the Wii Speak Channel, which utilizes Wii Speak, a microphone strategically positioned on top of the television. This feature will allow users to chat with up to four different people for free. The player will also see his Mii (his digital avatar) appear on the TV screen mimicking him/her in real time as the player speaks.

Aside from the Wii Speak Channel, Nintendo is also set to release several new features and games as the holiday season rushes in.

Wii Music will allow players to play a variety of musical instruments. The song choices vary from the classics (Beethoven) to popular hits (Madonna). New games for the Wii will also be added like the virtual community of Animal Crossing: City Folk; 10 variations of Tetris in Tetris Party; the physics-based puzzle/construction game called World of Goo; the action-adventure game Cave Story; the humorous Strong Bad Episode 3; and a new game called Boingz, which features stretchy, bendy critters.

Last May 19, 2008, Nintendo released the Wii Fit which gives players the chance to enjoy a personalized workout. Since its introduction, it has sold a total of over 1.8 million units in the United States.

The new features and games Nintendo has revealed will definitely propel the Wii even higher in the gaming market.